Untying the Tongue - (Gender, Power, and the Word) by Linda Longmire & Lisa Merrill (Paperback)

About the Book

The words and grammatical structure of a given language are the most basic building blocks of thought and communication; they reflect the ways speakers conceptualize themselves and their world and communicate with others. Since language reflects a culture's biases and inequities, a socially constructed, gendered power differential between men and women may lead each to have very different relationships to language. The essays in this collection explore some of the ways in which power and its expression (or repression) is gendered.

The contributors seek to discover contexts and patterns within which power is articulated, reproduced, and ultimately transformed. While some contributors provide primarily descriptive examinations of presumed gender differences, others seek to critique or deconstruct these supposed meanings associated with gender and power relationships. An important collection for scholars and researchers involved with communication and with gender issues.

Book Synopsis

The words and grammatical structure of a given language are the most basic building blocks of thought and communication; they reflect the ways speakers conceptualize themselves and their world and communicate with others. Since language reflects a culture's biases and inequities, a socially constructed, gendered power differential between men and women may lead each to have very different relationships to language. The essays in this collection explore some of the ways in which power and its expression (or repression) is gendered.

The contributors seek to discover contexts and patterns within which power is articulated, reproduced, and ultimately transformed. While some contributors provide primarily descriptive examinations of presumed gender differences, others seek to critique or deconstruct these supposed meanings associated with gender and power relationships. An important collection for scholars and researchers involved with communication and with gender issues.

Review Quotes

.,."represents a move toward making gender studies really matter for those who study and teach communication."-Technical Communication Quarterly

?...represents a move toward making gender studies really matter for those who study and teach communication.?-Technical Communication Quarterly

?Exploring both personal and paradigmatic narratives that influence understanding of selfhood, health, spirituality, and politics, the authors suggest that women (and men) can begin to create a space in which new voices, energies and visions emerge and reflect mutual understanding and respect.?-CHOICE

..."represents a move toward making gender studies really matter for those who study and teach communication."-Technical Communication Quarterly

"Exploring both personal and paradigmatic narratives that influence understanding of selfhood, health, spirituality, and politics, the authors suggest that women (and men) can begin to create a space in which new voices, energies and visions emerge and reflect mutual understanding and respect."-CHOICE

About the Author

LINDA LONGMIRE is Assistant Professor of Political Science, the Director of Women's Studies, and the Coordinator of International Studies at Hofstra University's interdisciplinary New College. Her publications and teaching focus on feminist, environmental, and international politics.

LISA MERRILL is Associate Professor of Speech Communication and Rhetorical Studies at Hofstra University's School of Communication. Her publication, teaching, and research interests focus on gender and performance studies.